14
A few people were still eating as they circled up on the major. Tim remembered the last of his meal in his hands and took a big bite of one of his crackers. Chewed it a couple of times thinking about Lola. She was smooth, slick, like the way she flew. Sliding out from under questions.
He had to give her a break, she was new. But he’d thought they’d built a connection, or at least the start of one. And… he coughed.
Then inhaled.
And got a lungful of dirt as the major started speaking. He tried to suppress the reaction but couldn’t. He hacked up a tiny cloud of dust and spewed out half-chewed chunks of cheese-coated crackers now turned brown with desert dirt.
John’s thump on his back drove him to his knees. The major ground to a halt and turned to watch. Everyone did, but Tim couldn’
